Transcript Africa Team Overview and West Africa Program Update

West Africa Program Update
Program Overview
Sierra Leone:
Talking Drum Studio
Liberia:
Talking Drum Studio
12 regular programs
3 studio locations
12 regular programs
Community
Peacebuilding Unit
Youth
Community Radio
Peace Carnivals and
Tours
TINAMENIMA
(Community Services Unit)
Peace and
Reconciliation
Workshops
Drama Outreach
Sierra Leone Case Study:
Makeni Peace Carnival
December 30, 2002-January 1, 2003
Makeni Peace Carnival
Objective: To provide a forum for the
community to focus on growing levels of
violence in Makeni: at schools, on sports
fields, in homes
Background
Makeni—former RUF stronghold, with
large excombatant population
SFCG-SL holds outreach events to
promote partnership and peacebuilding
and develop local capacity
Annual Peace Carnival in Bo every Easter
Steady Bongo Peace Tour (2)
Makeni wanted a similar event
Coalition of Planners:
National Commission on Disarmament,
Demobilization, and Reintegration
The Police
The Army
The Drivers’ Association
The Cassette Sellers’ Association
Sierra Leone Teachers Union
Radio Mankneh
Several Youth Groups
Established Action Committees
Organizing–overall planning, coordination and
implementation
Grounds–demarcation of field for booths
Security–made up of Police, Army, youth, and
community members
Finance–proceeds from the gates
Ticket–sales of tickets
Publicity–posters, banners, and advertising
Purpose of committees
The committees established local
ownership of and responsibility for the
event
Provided community-based direction to
strategy
Developed local capacity
Each committee had representatives of
various stakeholders
Together the stakeholders developed a
theme for the peace carnival:
Maintaining Law and Order in a
Post-conflict Society
Carnival Components
5 drama troupes
7 cultural groups
36 booths
Steady Bongo and the Cultural Heroes
Live broadcasting
Rehabilitation of field hosting the event
Issues Addressed
Law and order
Domestic violence
Local government structures
Role of media in conflict resolution
Violence in schools and sports
HIV/AIDS
Local Partnership Board-roles and
responsibilities
Local Partnership Board (LPB)
Established as a community-based
organization
LPB received 80% of the revenue from
the event
Revenue to be used for a community
development project
Report to the community required on
how much money was used on what to
ensure transparency and accountability
Hugely Successful!
20,000 people
attended
10Million Leones
generated
15 local organizations involved
3 days of festivities, 14 hours a day
1000’s of kudos!
Liberia Case Study:
Bong County Peace and
Reconciliation Workshop
October 31-November 10, 2002
Background
3rd in a series of workshops between
ethnic groups in Liberia’s southeastern
counties
Ethnicity has been exploited by political
factions
Lofa County conflict has largely been
fueled by ethnicity
this series is to prevent a similar
occurrence in the southeast
Workshops Held
March 2001
Sinoe County: Sarpos
and Krus
March 2002
Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties: Gios,
Manos and Krahns
October-November 2002
Bong County: Gios, Manos, Kpelles,
Lormas, and Mandingos
Targeted Counties
March
2002
October
2002
March
2001
October-November Workshop
Originally scheduled for early summer,
but delayed by politically-driven ethnic
tension against Mandingos
Format:
3 small plenary workshops: each between
Mandingos and one other ethnic group
Final large workshop among all
participating ethnic groups
Purpose of the Plenary Sessions
Identified and defined the
conflict
Confronted immediate
distrust and suspicion
between groups
Laid groundwork for a
frank discussion of issues
Facilitated the beginning
development of
relationships
Full Workshop
Included representatives
from each ethnic group
Discussion addressed:
stereotypes
negative and positive experiences with ethnic
preference
perceived qualities and characteristics of each
ethnic group
TDS taped dialogue and interviews
throughout to share with a national audience
Observations and Results
Delegates came to the meeting open to
discussion and genuinely seeking peace
Parties took ground rules very seriously,
enforcing the rules themselves
Delegates recognized that despite solid
progress, only the surface on these
conflicts has been touched, especially
as ethnic tensions are exacerbated for
political gain
Observations and Results cont.
The group achieved maximum capacity
in participation
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Bong
County’s Superintendent sent letters to all
tribal governors asking that they each send
5 member delegations
Indicated incredible interest in building
peace between ethnic groups
Fun Finale
To wrap up the workshop, TINAMENIMA held
a fun soccer match between community
members, the joint security forces and local
government leaders